Robotic Exoskeleton Dramatically Improves Life of Stroke Victim

Steve Adubato goes on-location to the Kessler Foundation’s "Life After Stroke" event to talk with Stroke Robotic Exoskeleton participant, Howard Rossman, about the ways the exoskeleton machine has helped him regain movement in his body. Steve also talks with David Knowlton, retired head of the N.J. Health Care Quality Institute, about the stroke that affected his life, and the impact of quick response time that limited negative effects.

12/10/16 #2599

Excerpt:

"One of the great things about this conference, this Kessler Foundation Conference, Life After Stroke, cause you get to meet some pretty special people, this gentleman on my left I've seen before, but he's joining us now, he is Howard Rossman, a stroke robotic exoskeleton participant now, that's just your description of you, but this exoskeleton equipment, and we were talking to Doctor Nolan who's actually right behind you and she described it in detail but you're wearing it? Yeah. Describe what it's like to be in it. To be in this is wearing a body brace, that is self directing of my feet in a timed manner. Because I have no movement in my left leg when I started using this. And up until this year, this device was not used for traumaticstroke victims. And so they started this year, and it gave me the incentive and motivation to see that I can use my left leg again, which I didn't know I could. And this has helped me. Howard, you experienced a stroke when? April 9th this year, ten weeks ago from Saturday. What was your life like before that? Very active, very... before the day of the stroke, I went to a little league game to see my grandson play, and we'd gone out for dinner, and we were watching TV at night, I felt wobbly, fell asleep, and woke up in the middle of the night and had fell to the floor and realized I was having a stroke. So I was working full time as a substitute teacher, running a travel agency, having a beautiful life. This exoskeleton, and I've seen people walk in it before, but I've never really had the chance to talk to someone who's in it and moving. When you first got in it, describe that experience. The experience was anxiety and apprehension, because I thought that I might fall. But apparently not. They gave me the cane to wear, and there were two people on either side with their controls, and they had a backup with a wheelchair, in case I were to fall backwards. So they gave me the confidence, and I probably walked about 150 steps the first time I used it. And then I was trying to buy more time to get on it! [laughter] Because it's a very popular machine. Yeah. Everyone wanted to be on it? Yes, that is correct. Or in it? In it. Yeah. And describe your ability now in the exoskeleton..."